Monthly Archives: December 2014
The White Lady Beckons
As you stroll along the streets of Dublin, enjoying the window displays during this holiday season, you might notice a reclining female figurine. Earlier this year, artist Kathryn Maguire worked with the young people of Sherriff Street to explore this particular Dublin phenomenon, and asked me to write a short piece about the Lady of […]
Maynooth Geography Erasmus and Study Abroad Opportunities
Have you considered spending a year of study abroad at one of our partner universities in Europe or North America! The study-abroad option offers geography students (Single Honours, Double Honours, Major-Minor) an opportunity to switch from the 3-year BA degree to the 4-year BA International with students spending their third year abroad and returning to […]
Thoughts from Lima (#5): Prof. John Sweeney Reports on the COP20 UN Climate Conference
The pattern of these UN Climate Conferences is similar almost every year. Initial optimism gives way to deadlock. The clock is stopped and the conference is extended into Saturday when an agreement of sorts is produced under time pressure from departing delegates. So it was this week. When deadlock was evident on Thursday night the […]
Thoughts from Lima (#4): Prof. John Sweeney reports on the COP20 UN Climate Conference
It is sometimes hard to get your head around the dramatic change in policy regarding climate change which President Obama initiated on the commencement of his second term in office. His Secretary of State John Kerry has made this a personal priority and his speech to the COP on Wednesday was radically different from the […]
Thoughts from Lima (#3): Prof. John Sweeney reports on the COP20 UN Climate Conference
Gasp! Even more news from John Sweeney in Lima. In the aftermath of Copenhagen, there were those that thought the COPs meetings would gradually dwindle to insignificance as austerity and powerful vested interests conspired to de priotitise concerns about climate change in many developed countries. Increased awareness of the appalling human costs of extreme events […]
Thoughts from Lima (#2): Prof. John Sweeney reports on the COP20 UN Climate Conference
Just in! An update from John Sweeney. Tuesday of the second week is when the big guns come to town. The ground having been prepared for them by their officials, the Presidents, Prime Ministers and Ministers arrive to strut their stuff. Entourages sweep rapidly by the onlookers into various rooms as the multiple strands of […]
Thoughts from Lima (#1): Prof. John Sweeney reports on the COP20 UN Climate Conference
Our own John Sweeney is in Lima at the COP20 Climate Conference. He sends us this report. Climatically, Lima is to some extent the southern hemisphere counterpart of San Francisco, though considerably nearer the Equator. Like the Californian Current, the cold Peruvian Current ensures overcast and humid conditions generally prevail and Lima is well noted […]
Web of Science and Google Scholar: Which to use?
Both! No question about it. Use both. But definitely use Web of Science. Don’t just stick to Google Scholar. And that’s my worry. When I hear students say how they found an article or searched for literature, I’m hearing Scholar. That’s fine. But it’s not good enough. Let me explain. Google Scholar is a brilliant […]
Homophobia and HIV vulnerability
This topic was discussed by Gerry Kearns and Andrew Tucker on Newstalk.ie, starting at 18:00 in this podcast. Also an opinion piece by Gerry Kearns, here. Research in Cape Town, South Africa, by Andrew Tucker and colleagues shows that HIV prevention is imperiled by homophobia.[i] Men who have sex with men were asked if they […]
Eye on the World 